Apparatus for covering shoe parts



T. HELFRICH APPARATUS FOR COVERING SHOE PARTS P March 8, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 5, 1961 March 8, 1966 T. HELFRICH APPARATUSFOR COVERING SHOE PARTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1961 March 8,1966 T. HELFRICH 3,238,544

APPARATUS FOR COVERING SHOE PARTS Filed Oct. 5, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5March 8, 1966 T. HELFRICH 3,238,544

APPARATUS FOR COVERING snon PARTS Filed Oct. 5, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 II I L 123 f i 123 114' United States Patent f 3,238,544 APPARATUS FORCOVERING SHOE PARTS Theodor Helfrich, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, as-

signor to Walter Ulirich, Kaberau, Bavaria, Germany Filed Oct. 5, 1961,Ser. No. 143,123 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 6, 1969,

U 7,4 18 Claims. (Cl. 1249.1)

The invention relates to apparatus for covering shoe heels by forcing aheel bearing a pre-cut covering between resilient Wiping elements.

It is known to cover heels with a covering by forcing the heel togetherwith the covering material through wiping elements clamped in a frame.In another example of construction, wiping dies are provided, which aremounted so to be resilient in the lateral direction and the contours ofwhich dies are adapted to the heel shape. In these known devices, thewiping elements are substantially stationary and so adapted in shape tothe heels to be treated that only a small number of heel shapes andsizes can be covered with them. Moreover, these devices enable only theperipheral surfaces of the heels to be covered, while the folding overof the edges of the covering onto the end faces of the heel has to becarried out either manually or by additional special devices.

The invention now discloses an apparatus whereby all conventional heelshapes and sizes can be covered and the folding over of the edges of thecovering onto the end faces can also be carried out.

The method for solving the problem according to the invention ischaracterised in that after passing between jaws which effect thecovering of the peripheral surfaces of the heel, the heel is passed,during the same feed movement, through a folder duct which folds theedges of the covering over the top attaching face and the topliftattaching face of the heel.

To enable an appropriately variable adjustment of the operative jawsurfaces to be obtained with respect to the heels in order to coverdifferent kinds of shoe types and sizes, the heels are advantageouslyconducted over a feed path which includes an acute angle with the planethrough the wiping jaws and the operative wiping surfaces at the jawsare adjusted by variations of the height and inclination of the jawswith respect to the feed path.

The apparatus for performing the method comprises a folder ductimmediately behind wiping jaws on a heel feed path. Said duct ispreferably formed by folder blocks which each cover a respective edgehalf of the respective one of the heel surfaces and which, as a resultof elasticity or as a result of pivotability, are able to follow theheel faces in such manner that edges of the covering are pressedcompletely onto the end faces of the heel even when the latter arehollowed out to a certain extent.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a complete machine for covering shoe heels, inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of wiping jaws with contact pressure sensers;

FIG. 3a is a side view thereof;

FIG. 4 shows a heel with a covering placed around the peripheralsurface;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a folding element;

FIG. 6 is a section through the folding element of FIG. 5 on the lineVI-VI;

FIG. 7 is a perspective front view of two top fold formers;

3,238,544 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 FIG.- 8 is a side view of anotherembodiment of wiping aws;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the arrangement of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a view of another wiping jaw mounting.

In the machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, a heel 25, coated withadhesive, is placed, together with a manually applied covering 26 (FIG.3) onto a slide 1 which is movable in a guide bed 1' of a frame of themachine, and is clamped fast by means of a lever. This lever 3, which isadapted to pivot about an axis 4, is operated through a link 5 by meansof a hydraulic cylinder 2 fed by way of a conduit 31. The slide 1 isslidable upon actuation of a cable 6 fastened to a piston rod 7 of ahydraulic cylinder 8. Return movement of this slide can be effected bymeans of a counter-cable not shown or in some other way.

A bridge 11 carries two convexly curved wiping jaws 12. These jaws, theoperative surfaces 22 of which each consist of a resilient material in astiff retainer 23, are connected toegther at the outer or top end of theconvex curvature by means of a flexible web 13. This web 13 may haveslots for adjustment of the jaw spacing. As a result of the flexibilityof the web 13 the jaws can be tilted or pivoted somewhat about theirlongitudinal axes. Near the end remote from the web 13, the jaws aresecured to the bridge 11. To this end, the jaws 12 are each fastened byscrews 14 on a respective lever 15 so as to be rotationally pivotablymovable. These levers 15 are articulated on respective fork heads 16 andare also pivotably arranged in the feed plane of the heel under thecontrollable pressure of a spring 17. Moreover, the levers 15, mountedon the fork heads 16, are pivotable transversely to the feed movementagainst the pressure of respective springs 20. This is achieved bymounting the fork heads 16 so as to be pivotable on the bridge 11 bymeans of respective bolts 18. Upon rotation of hand nuts 19, the levers15 can be appropriately adjusted to the heel shape, in the outward orinward direction. The pressure of the spring 20 can be controlled, asdesired, to suit the conditions. The bridge is mounted so as to bevertically slidable by arranging it to bear upon a piston rod 9accommodated in a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 10, so that thevertical position is adjustable and controlled feed movements can beperformed. Cylinder 10 may be actuated independently of cylinder 8, orin automatic operation, the two cylinders may be actuated in apredetermined sequence.

Located in the direction of the heel feed, immediately.

behind the jaws 12 is a folder duct for folding in edges of the covering27, 28 (FIG. 4) which project beyond the heel end faces. This folderduct is formed by folding members which cooperate with the four faces ofthe heel. Thus, a pair of folder blocks 43 is provided for the edge 27of the covering at the top left attaching face of the heel, said edge 27being lower most in the operating position, whilst a pair of foldformers 'is provided for the edge 23 of the covering at the top liftattaching face of the heel. For appropriate arrangement and mounting ofthese folding members 43, 50, two upright bars 41 are each fastened ontothe machine frame with an appropriate spacing therebetween. The foldingblocks 43 are each carried by a respective link 42 each held on a bar 41by, for example, an arm 67 (FIG. 5). This link 42 which is angular ispivotal upon the bar or arm by means of a pivot 68 and, at its free end,it carries a rotary element which is rotatable about a pivot 61 and on apart 62 of which element 60 the folder block 43 is mounted. The folderblock 43 is adapted to tilt about a horizontal axis (FIG. 6). Each block43 has a presser contour 64 and a fold-over gap 63. To limit the tiltingmovement of each foldeer block a respective stop pin 66 is provided. Arespective spiral spring is provided to reset the pivoting movement ofeach rotary element 60 and a tension spring 44 connects the two oppositelinks 42 to reset the pivoting movement of the links. The two links withtheir blocks point toward one another in an initial position and arespaced apart only far enough so that they can perform their pivotingmovements without obstructing each other. In the initial position, theedges of the rotary elements are substantially in line with the edges ofthe respective links. In FIG. 5, therefore, both the rotary element 60and the folder block 43 are shown in a slightly turned and tiltedposition, respectively. As a result of this rotatability about differentaxes, the folder blocks 43 are able to travel along the curvatures ofthe edges of the top attaching face and press the covering edges 27snugly into contact therewith. The blocks 43 must be mounted rotatablyon the link 42 because the top attaching face, in contradistinction tothe top lift attaching face, is inclined towards the breast of the heel.This inclination or conicity is thus compensated for independently. Inorder that the blocks 43 may exert a sufiicient pressure on the heelcontour on the folding-in of the covering, the tension spring 44 isprovided, which opposes any moving apart of the two links 42. Thetilting movement of the blocks, which is possible about the respectivehorizontal axis 65, also enables the folded-in edge to be pressedagainst a hollowed heel end surface.

Simultaneously with the folding-in of the covering edge 27 against thetop attaching face, the fold formers fold in the covering edge 23 ontothe top lift attaching face of the heel. These fold formers 50 are eachcarried by a respective pivot 52 so as to be axially slidable againstthe action of a respective compression spring 51. They are alsorotatable about the axes 52 to compensate for the conicity between thetop attaching face and the top lift attaching face of the heel. Toenable these fold formers to be adapted to the heel height, the pivots52 are vertically adjustable on the bars 41 and are secured in theirposition, by means of the locking screws 53. The fold formers each havean appropriately shaped fold block 54 with folding surfaces 55. In orderto compensate for the hollowing usually provided at this end of theheel, contact pressure surfaces 58 of the fold formers 50 are curvedappropriately.

The resilient jaws 12, as already stated, are slightly curved whenviewed from the side and thus form a convex curve shape pointing in theheel direction. Moreover, the edge 24 of each resilient jaw element 22is slightly convexly curved. These curvatures increase the possibilityof adaptation to different heel contours by appropriate displacement ofthe operative wiping surface.

By appropriate variation of the spacing of the open ends of the jaws 12it is possible to obtain adjustment to coarse and thick heels or fornarrow heels. Depending upon the heel shape, it is possible to selectthat region of the resilient jaws 12 which should perform the wipingoperation. This region can be displaced by the vertical movement of thejaws with respect to the invariable feed path of the heel to be covered.If, for example, the slide 1 is allowed to perform only a small part ofits total movement as a first stage of movement and is then stopped andthe bridge 11 is allowed-to move down, the heel covering operation isperformeed by the narrow region of the jaws 12. If, on the other hand,the slide 1 performs a greater part of its total movement during itsfirst. stage of movement and is then stopped and the jaws are moveddown, the jaws meet the heel at a wide region thereof suitable for wideand thick heels. In the case of strongly curved heels, it isadvantageous that the slide is moved until the heel abuts the jaws 12before the latter are moved downwardly. For flat and less stronglycurved heels, the jaws may be secured against any tilting movement andone nut moved vertically.

These variations in the individual movements may be varied as desiredwithin appropriate adjustment to one another. Although it isadvantageous to stop at least one element, for example, the jaws 12,during the wiping operation it is of course possible to perform thewiping operation without any interruption of the two motions.

In order to obtain suitable tension for fold-free covering during theoperation of slipping the covering 26 over the peripheral surface of theheel by means of the jaws 12, according to a further feature of theinvention, presser shoes 72 (FIG. 3) are provided. These press theprojecting flaps of the covering 26 against the undersurface of the jaws12 with an adjustable pressure. These presser shoes are each carried bya respective sensor 70, which are movable, for example, with theslide 1. These sensers '70 are, of course, mounted so as to be slidablewith respect to the slide so that, on application against the jaws, thesliding movement is not impeded. The compression springs 71 effect theresetting of the presser sensers. It is advantageous to dispose thesepresser shoes and to allow them to engage in such manner that they notonly effect the appropriate prestressing of the covering during thewiping process, but also prevent the projecting cover flaps fromprematurely bearing against the adhesively coated heel during thesliding movement.

To increase the flexibility of the wiping jaws, the jaw blades 22 mayalso be divided longitudinally or be cut perpendicularly to the workingedge.

The mode of operation is as follows: after the heel which is to becovered has been coated with adhesive and a piece of covering materialhas been applied thereto, the heel is clamped on the slide 1 byoperation of the cylinder 2 and the slide then moves in the direction ofand through the wiping jaws, the slide movement being such that it canbe stopped at any predetermined point, until the jaws have completedcovering the peripheral surface during their downward movement. If theheel has then passed through the jaws, the slide moves through thefolding duct with the folding elements 43 and 50, which here fold theedges 27 and 28 on to the end faces of the heel. The heel thus coveredin ejected either manually or automatically after passing through thefolding duct, whereupon theslide returns into its initial position toreceive a new heel.

In the exemplified embodiment, hydraulically operated Working cylindersare provided to perform the individual movements. It is obvious that theindividual movements can also be performed manually, mechanically orelectrically, although a completely automatic control, for example bymeans of a press-button system 30, is naturally to be preferred.

FIGS. 8-10 shows alternative embodiments of wiping jaws. The jaws 112,which each consist of a resilient blade 122 and a retaining stirrup 123curved outwardly towards the free end of the jaw, are mounted by thestirrups 123 at respective pivots 113 on adjusting blocks 114 so as tobe movable apart about said pivots. Leaf springs 115, also mounted onthe adjust-ing blocks, tend to press the jaws 112 back into the initialposition by means of their ends which bear against the respectiveretaining stirrup 123. In this position the inner edges 124 of theblades extend in substantially parallel relationship to one another. Theadjusting blocks 114 are mounted slidably on a pivot 116 rotatable aboutits own longitudinal axis, and are lockable by screws 117 both insofaras lateral displacement and rotary angular positions are concerned. Thepivot 116 is mounted l'otatably by its ends in bearing brackets 118 onthe machine frame. Near these bearing brackets, pivoting levers 119 areclamped fast on both sides by means of clamping screws 120 and theirother ends are connected by pivotal connections 121 to crank rods ofvertical push rods 131. A tube 132 which is secured to the frame orhousing of the machine and guides the reciprocating movement of the pushrod 131 (FIG. 8) is shown only diagrammatically. If this push rod is nowmoved up and down in the working cycle, for example by means of apressure cylinder (FIG. 2), the jaws 112 perform a pivoting movementwhich is marked by the arrows P (FIG. 8) the lowermost pivoted positionbeing shown in broken lines. During this pivoting movement, the jawswiping the heel 125 which is in the feed position and which, as in thepreviously described embodiment, is advanced from the clamping position125 by the feed 103, 101 either with or without an interruption ofmovement in the wiping position, as far as the fold-in members 43, 50(FIG. 2). The pivoting angle or pivoting range of the wiping jaws andthe time at which they meet the heel to be covered are adjustable.

FIG. 10 shows another means for moving the jaws 112' apart. Here theretaining stirrup 123' is rotatably mounted, not at its end, but at anintermediate point, by means of a pivot 113', so that, on rotarymovement of the jaws about their pivots 113', the operative edges 124move in the opposite direction at their ends.

The invention is not limited to the exemplified embodiments illustrated.Thus, the bearing and retaining elements for the jaws and folderelements may be of different construction. Instead of the folderelements illustrated, folding elements of resilient material may beused, these ensuring the required resilience and adjustment withoutpivot axes, and it would also be possible to provide a closed foldingduct of resiliently mounted folding elements.

Finally, fold-over plates may be provided behind the folding ductcontaining the folding elements, said plates being movable on both sidestransversely to the heel feed direction in relation to the front surfaceof the heel in such manner that the covering edges are folded on to thefront surface by said plates. In order that these foldover plates maynot have any obstructive effect in the case of narrow heels, they arearranged to come into operation successively.

I claim:

1. A shoe heel covering machine comprising a frame, a guide bed in saidframe defining an inclined feed path for an adhesively coated heelprovided with a loosely applied heel covering, sliding meansreciprocating in said guide bed, clamping means on said sliding meansfor holding said heel and covering, means actuating said sliding means,a pair of wiping jaws pressing said covering against the heel advancingin said feed path, said jaws forming an acute angle with said feed path,which angle opens toward the advancing heel, and a folder duct in thedirection of said feed path behind said wiping jaws, said folder ductcomprising folding elements folding the edges of said covering on thetop attaching and the top lift attaching faces of the heel.

2. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said folding elementscomprise a bottom pair of folder blocks and a top pair of fold formers.

3. The machine is claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said fold formersis disposed above the respective folder block on a common vertical bar.

4. The machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said fold formers arevertically adjustable on said bar.

5. The machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said folder blocksis pivotable about a transverse axis and rotatable about an axis whichis normal to the inclined feed path.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said folder blocks areadditionally pivotable about a second axis which is normal to theinclined feed path.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said folder blockshas a pressure contour and forms a fold-over gap above said contour.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 2 comprising opposing bearing axescarrying said fold formers axially slidably and freely rotatably, andspring means pressing said formers towards each other.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 including fold-over blocks on saidfold formers provided with curved presser surfaces.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 1 including pressure members pressingsaid covering against the lower face of said wiping jaws.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein said pressure members aremounted on said sliding means for longitudinal displacement againstcompression springs and for angular adjustment with respect to saidsliding means.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heel contacting surfacesof said wiping jaws are made of resilient material and wherein said jawsare at one end connected with each other.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 12 wherein said jaw connecting meansis a flexible web.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said jaws are verticallyadjustable.

15. A machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said jaws are laterallyadjustable.

16. A machine as claimed in claim 12 including articulated leverspivoting said wiping jaws about a stationary axis into the heel feedpath.

17. A machine as claimed in claim 12 including pivots permitting saidwiping jaws to be pivoted apart.

18. A machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising a stationary axis aboutwhich said wiping jaws are adapted to pivot into said heel feed path.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,760,147 5/1930Kershaw 12-147 1,866,728 7/1932 Smith 12--49.1 2,032,449 3/1936 Tetlow12147 2,328,695 9/1943 Ushafoff 12-49.1 2,972,760 2/1961 Lipp 1249.13,023,435 3/1962 Bacon et al. 1249.1

I ORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, Examiner.

1. A SHOE HEEL COVERING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A GUIDE BED IN SAIDFRAME DEFINING AN INCLINED FEED PATH FOR AN ADHESIVELY COATED HEELPROVIDED WITH A LOOSELY APPLIED HEEL COVERING, SLIDING MEANSRECIPROCATING IN SAID GUIDE BED, CLAMPING MEANS ON SAID SLIDING MEANSFOR HOLDING SAID HEEL AND COVERING, MEANS ACTUATING SAID SLIDING MEANS,A PAIR OF WIPING JAWS PRESSING SAID COVERING AGAINST THE HEEL ADVANCINGIN SAID FEED PATH, SAID JAWS FORMING AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH SAID FEED PATH,WHICH ANGLE OPENS TOWARD THE ADVANCING HEEL, AND A FOLDER DUCT IN THEDIRECTION OF SAID FEED PATH BEHIND SAID WIPING JAWS, SAID FOLDER DUCTCOMPRISING FOLDING ELEMENTS FOLDING THE EDGES OF SAID COVERING ON THETOP ATTACHING AND THE TOP LIFT ATTACHING FACES OF THE HEEL.